THE creator of a Netflix show has become the subject of a massive online controversy as he’s been accused of mocking conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
X owner Elon Musk sparked a full-blown boycott after seeing the post reportedly penned by animator Hamish Steele and canceling his account.
Hamish Steele, the creator of a Netflix show, has been at the center of a massive controversy[/caption]
Charlie Kirk was killed on September 10 as he spoke with students at Utah Valley University[/caption]
Elon Musk said that he canceled his Netflix account following the controversy[/caption]
However, Steele denies he celebrated Kirk’s death.
Kirk supporters piled on the 34-year-old director on Tuesday, after right-wing influencer Libs of TikTok shared a Bluesky post allegedly written by Steele.
In the post, the London-based showrunner reportedly mocked UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer for showing sympathy to Kirk’s family after the organizer was gunned down in front of college students.
“Why the f**k are you even commenting on this, d**khead?” read the post shared by Libs of TikTok.
“You sympathy for any of the families being slaughtered by your weapons but a random nazi gets show and its a public statement.
“You’re such a f*****g evil shit.”
Libs of TikTok shared the purported post after accusing Netflix of “pushing pro-transgender” ideology on children with Steele’s show, Dead End: Paranormal Park.
The animated series follows main character Barney Guttman, a gay transgender teen boy, as he explores a haunted realm alongside his coworker Norma Khan, who is bisexual and autistic.
The show, which is recommended to children as young as seven, ran for two seasons from June 2022 to October 2022. In January 2023, Steele announced it had been canceled.
Fury over Steele and the show mounted when Musk replied to Libs of TikTok’s post and said, “This is not OK.”
In a later post, the billionaire responded to a user who said they had canceled their Netflix subscription and said, “Same.”
“Cancel Netflix for the health of your kids,” Musk wrote in another X post.
STEELE’S DEFENSE
Steele has maintained his innocence in posts shared since the drama unfolded.
On Tuesday, he shared a screenshot of Musk’s first reply to Libs of TikTok, and said, “It’s probably going to be a very odd day.”
In response to Libs of TikTok’s claim that Netflix was promoting the show, he wrote, “It’s all lies and slander! Netflix is NOT promoting at the moment!”
Hours later, Steele said, “I have mostly been very ok today and found it all quite funny.”
However, he shared that he had gotten “extremely nasty homophobic and antisemitic emails” and that it was “getting a little scary.”
Steele later insisted that he never celebrated the death of Kirk after his replies were flooded with supporters commenting, “I AM CHARLIE KIRK.”
On Wednesday, he wrote, “I will just say today is much worse and I am going to basically be on the down low for the foreseeable future. My apologies.”
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Steele and Netflix for comment on the controversy.
Charlie Kirk’s rise to hero of the youth MAGA movement
CHARLIE Kirk transformed conservative youth activism from a marginal movement into a powerful force before his assassination on a college campus at 31.
Kirk was an American conservative political activist, author, and media personality who rose to prominence as the co-founder of Turning Point USA (TPUSA).
He launched the organization in 2012 when he was just 18 years old, with the goal of promoting conservative principles to high school and college students and became a significant figure in American politics by building a massive grassroots network, framing himself as a “culture warrior.”
The rise of Turning Point USA
Turning Point USA’s mission was to counter what Kirk and his allies saw as liberal dominance on American college campuses.
It quickly grew to prominence through his use of provocative activism and viral social media campaigns.
They created watchlists of professors pushing leftist propaganda and organized events to debate students on controversial topics.
The strategy helped them gain a significant following and financial backing from wealthy conservative donors.
Kirk’s ability to connect with a new generation of conservatives was one of his most notable impacts.
He cultivated a style of political engagement that was heavily reliant on social media, podcasts, and confrontational public appearances.
His organization’s events, such as the annual Student Action Summit, drew thousands of young attendees and featured prominent conservative speakers, creating a new kind of political ecosystem for young people who felt alienated from traditional conservative groups.
A key ally of Donald Trump
Kirk also became a staunch supporter and ally of President Donald Trump.
He was the youngest speaker at the 2016 Republican National Convention and served as an aide to Donald Trump Jr. during the presidential campaign.
This relationship solidified his position within the Republican Party’s “MAGA” (Make America Great Again) wing, and his organization became an integral part of Trump’s political apparatus.
Through his popular podcast, “The Charlie Kirk Show,” and his frequent appearances on conservative media, Kirk was a powerful voice in the pro-Trump movement.
He often framed political issues as a “spiritual battle” between good and evil and championed a pugnacious, populist form of conservatism.
His influence was so significant that after Trump’s 2024 victory, Kirk was credited with helping to mobilize younger voters for the campaign.
Influence on culture and social issues
Beyond traditional politics, Kirk’s influence extended deeply into social and cultural issues.
He was a vocal opponent of “woke” ideology, particularly in education and media.
He promoted traditional values, often encouraging young women to prioritize becoming homemakers and mothers over professional careers.
Kirk also openly criticized programs related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
He was also a major proponent of Christian nationalism, arguing that there is no true separation of church and state in the United States.
The Turning Point Empire
Kirk’s activism led to the expansion of the Turning Point brand into a larger political and media empire.
He launched Turning Point Action, a political advocacy group focused on voter mobilization, and Turning Point Faith, aimed at engaging evangelical Christian communities in conservative politics.
These affiliated organizations allowed him to broaden his reach and influence beyond college campuses, into a more mainstream political force.
